When it comes to expensive pseudoscience, nothing beats magnets these days. Those Phiten necklaces that exploded in baseball a couple of years back have always been scant on hard science, and the makers behind PowerBalance basically admitted that their products were one big scam. But few of these craptastic gimmicks are singularly carried by the promotional power of a Hall of Fame running back.

I don't think this would surprise anyone, but PowerBalance—manufacturers of plastic wristbands …
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For as low as $60, you can own one of Eric Dickerson's snazzy MagicBelts that rely on a type of magnetic therapy that has never been scientifically proven to do what it claims. And though the site doesn't seem like it's been updated in years, the order form still works. Besides, how could any self-respecting businessman bail on a venture that boasts such star power as these fine folks who've allegedly worn the MagicBelt:

Really, if James Garner's involvement doesn't get you excited, nothing probably will.

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Not sure what's more disconcerting: The whopping range of names listed here, the amateurish misspellings, or the fact that several have been dead for years. (RIP Bob Goulet.) But how did Dickerson get sucked into this? By pure happenstance, it seems. Here's how MagicBelt Founder and CEO Don Rauscher remembers it:

When we all met I was just hoping for another good testimonial for the website. I'll never forget his words "I want to do more." Eric invited me to some celebrity and charity golf tournaments to help us sell MagicBelts and we continued to discuss our partnership. He wanted to put his brand on it just like George Foreman did with The Grill. I still couldn't figure out why someone like him wanted to help us. The more I got to know him, I realized that his interests were genuine. I still had to be sure so one day I called him on his cell phone and asked him. "Are you sure you want to do this?," I said. "You know people are going to associate you with the MagicBelt for the rest of your life." ERIC said, " It doesn't matter because I believe in the product just like you do Don, I've got drawstring pants on today with no belt loops but I still have the belt on. I wear it everyday and will wear it every day for the rest of my life. It's your product, you're the inventor. I don't ever want to change that but if putting my name on it can help more people buy more MagicBelts, just do it."

The company sells belts ranging in price from $60 to $85—as well as "magnetic therapy hats" for $30—and yet there's not a shred of scientific documentation on the MagicBelt site. This here is the closest thing to a scientific explanation that the company provides:

Aspirin, ibuprofen and other pain medications do not heal anything by themselves. They increase blood circulation which heals strains, sprains, fractures and other health problems in your body. This is what happens when wearing Eric Dickerson's MagicBelt. Just as with common pain medications, the benefits can be felt almost immediately. Specifically, when clusters of blood cells pass through the magnetic field, created by Eric DIckerson's MagicBelt, these clusters dissolve into smaller clusters of blood cells. as shown in Fig 1.

Other positive benefits of increased blood circulation include reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes without the side effects caused by most other pain medications.

This animation is based on our opinions, personal experience, customer testimonials, and countless hours of research. Although, Magnetic therapy is an FDA approved treatment for the healing of fractures, Eric Dickerson's MagicBelt products are not intended for use as medical devices. Eric Dickerson's MagicBelt products are a non-medical treatment of pain and provide preventive health maintenance.

The placebo effect can be a significant factor in how people perceive their own bodies when it comes to healing. (Sometimes, it's even more effective than the drugs themselves.) But ventures like this just take your money with a famous face, a list of names, and no evidence whatsoever of efficacy. And no matter how dusty and outdated the site seems, it's still in operation, the order form works, and Dickerson's face is all over it. We can only assume he still endorses this nonsense.